Hoffinger



March 24, 1964 M. HOFFINGER SPLIT RING CLAMP Filed June 28, 1961 VENTOR.

IN MAIN/V HOFF/A/GEE A TTOENEYS' United States Patent 3,125,792 SPLITRING CLAMP Martin Hoflinger, 382 Garfield Ave., West Hempstead, N.Y.Filed June 28, 1961, Ser. No. 120,401 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-271) Thisinvention relates particularly to closure locks; more specifically itpresents a split ring seal for a drum or the like; and more particularlyit describes an adjustable levertype clamping ring.

There are many well known split ring clamping devices in the prior art.Usually such devices include any one of several forms of levermechanisms to fasten the split clamping rings and thereby'retain aclosure member securely on a container.

All of the prior art devices, however, suffer from a common defect.After some period of use, the gasket between the closure and thecontainer will compress the pivot connections on the lever mechanism,and other members wear or become otherwise loose. Thus, after a periodof time, the split clamping ring will fail to lock the closure to thecontainer with sufficient tightness. This necessitates the replacementof the gasket between the closure and the container or the reworking ordisposal of the ring.

It is a cardinal object of this invention, therefore, to provide animproved adjustable split clamping ring for retaining a closure memberon a container.

It is another primary object hereof to set forth a device as abovedescribed that will be inexpensive, simple to manufacture and haverelatively few working parts.

Another object and accomplishment hereof is to describe a split clampingring that is designed for complete constriction over a container andclosure, even after prolonged use, and compression of the gasket.

A further object hereof is to set forth a more durable closure clamp.

Still another object is to provide a split ring of the characterdescribed which may be readily assembled and installed.

With these objects in view, the invention consists of the novel featuresof construction and arrangement of parts which will appear in thefollowing specification and recited in the appended claim, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings in which the same referencenumerals indicate the same parts throughout the various figures and inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of a split ring clamping deviceconstructed according to this invention with a portion of the containershown in section and with the parts in their closed or clamped position.

FIG. 2 is a view corresponding to FIG. 1 but illustrating the parts intheir open or non-locking position.

FIG. 3 is a view taken substantially along line 3-3 of FIG. 2illustrating the locking adapter.

FIG. 4 is a view taken substantially along line 44 of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings which illustrate what may be for some purposesa preferred embodiment of the invention, there is illustrated a splitring clamping device 10.

It will be noted that many of the details of the construction andoperation of the split ring clamp are not shown in detail in that it isof generally conventional construction and will form no part of theinstant invention. Sufiicient to say, however, that it will be ofcylindrical form and will be channel shaped in order to engage andthereby lock the closure to a container 11, with a gasket therebetween.As is generally known, the tighter the ring is drawn, the better will bethe con- 3,125,792 Patented Mar. 24, 1964 nection between the closureand the container 11, within certain limits.

As is general, the gasket between the closure and the container willcompress after a period of use and thereafter the ring 10 will have tobe drawn tighter to insure a perfect seal.

As illustrated, the ring 10 will generally have a lever locking device.The locking device will consist essentially of a lever 12 and a link 14.The said link 14 is pivotally connected to a point centrally located atthe lever 12. The lever 12 is pivotally connected at one end to one sideof the joint of the split clamping ring in such a manner that it mayrotate in the same plane as the said ring 10. The pivotal connectionsmay be by rivets or pins 15 and 16 loosely extending through the parts.It will generally be preferable for the pins or rivets 15 and 16 to havea certain minimum amount of clearance to insure free rotation.

The outward end of the link 14 is adjustably connected to the ring 10 ina manner to be explained in detail hereinafter.

The outward end of the lever 12 may have an inwardly extending portionto lock on the opposite end of the split ring clamping device 10. Thelever 12 is swung inwardly against the ring 10 thereby locking the partsin position as demonstrated most clearly in FIG. 1.

With time, however, either due to the compression of the gasket betweenthe closure of the container or due to wear of any of the parts, thesplit ring 10 may become loose. This may be corrected easily by means ofthe adapter construction described immediately below.

Illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 of the drawings is one of the locking units20 which will be constructed identically with the other locking unit20a. The locking adapter unit is formed preferably from a single stripof relatively rigid sheet material and formed into the illustratedshape. There will generally be a relatively long attaching surface 21 tosecure the locking unit 20 to the split ring 10 or the link 14. In oneform of the invention already constructed, the locking unit 20 waswelded to the clamp 10 and spot Welding points 22 were provided for easeof welding.

Referring again to the drawings, it will be seen that the illustratedembodiment of the device has side flanges 25 and overlying front flanges26. This double front flange arrangement will insure the strength of thelocking means at the point where strength is most necessary.

The front flanges 26 will each have a-relatively central opening 28which will be in line when the parts are in their assembled position.

Referring again to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the locking units2% and 2011 are fastened as by welding or the like to the outward end ofthe link 14 and to a point on the ring 10 disposed a short distancetherefrom. The parts are assembled in such position that the frontflanges 26 of each of the locking units 20 and 20a are approximatelyparallel but spaced apart as may be seen at 30 in FIG. 1.

The operation of this invention then is as follows. The split ring 10 isinstalled over the closure and the container 10 as seen in FIG. 2. Thelever 12 is then urged to its locking position shown in FIG. 1. Toinsure the tightness of the parts and to prevent the spontaneous openingof the lever 12, a bolt 31, wire or the like, will be inserted throughthe openings 28 of the mating ends of the locking units 20 and 20a. Thebolt 31 will then be drawn tight as by a nut 32. It will be apparentthat the tighter the torque on nut 32, the tighter the split ring 10will be drawn on the closure and the container 11.

If, after several usages or after a prolonged period of time, any of thegaskets, joints, connections or pins 15 and 16 should wear or becomeotherwise loose. It will only be necessary to apply additional torque tothe locking nut 32. This will draw the flanges 26 closer together andWill maintain the tightness of the ring 10. This progressive shorteningof the distance between the locking units 20 and 20a will effectivelyprevent the necessity for replacement of the gasket as the parts wear.

It will be apparent, therefore, that this invention accomplishes all ofthe objects hereinabove set forth. Most important, it presents effectiveand long lasting methods of sealing a closure on a container.

It will be obvious, of course, that the method of adjustment beingsomewhat flexible will eliminate fatigue and wear and tear of thecritical portion of the ring and will therefore insure its long life.

While there are above disclosed but a limited number of embodiments ofthe structure and product of the invention herein presented, it ispossible to produce still other embodiments without departing from theinventive concept herein disclosed, and it is desired, therefore, thatonly such limitations be opposed on the appended claim as are statedtherein, or required by the prior art.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A split clamping ring closure, having a lever and a link, a firstrotatable pin pivotally connecting one end of said link to a pointcentrally located of said lever, a second rotatable pin pivotallyconnecting one end of said lever to one end of said split clamping ring,and a first locking adapter integrally fastened to said other end ofsaid split ring, said first locking adapter having an apertured surfacedisposed perpendicularly to said split ring, and a second lockingadapter integrally fastened to said link, said second locking adapterhaving an apertured surface extending perpendicularly of Said link, anda straight bolt removably extending through said aperture of saidsurface of said second locking adapter whereby said first lockingadapter and said second locking adapter may be urged toward each otherby said bolt after said split clamping ring closure is closed, saidfirst and said second locking adapters being each fabricated from asingle strip of relatively rigid material, each of said locking adaptershaving side flanges and overlying double front flanges supported by saidside flanges and comprising said apertured surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS625,573 Leavitt May 23, 1899 1,095,220 McIntoshv May 5, 1914 1,148,472Adams July 27, 1915 2,482,374 Ruschrneyer Sept. 20, 1949 2,706,648 GooseApr. 19, 1955 2,775,806 Love Jan. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 147,880 GreatBritain Oct. 10, 1-921

